Finite element analysis of computer models is an important tool in the design and verification of many engineered structural products and the structural components of which they are composed. For example, computer models may define a working environment in terms of forces, accelerations and the like, and can thus be stressed and analyzed determine structural integrity of an engineered structural product within that working environment. Through finite element analysis, it may be possible to break a complex system down into a manageable (finite) number of elements (e.g., a curve drawn as a series of steps). These computer models and their analysis may be used for several purposes, such as to help determine the behavior of a new airplane product design under various load environments.
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of finite element analysis (which typically combines concepts from mathematics, physics, engineering and computer science), generating an appropriate computer model and its analysis typically involves multiple phases. During one of these phases, a finite element analyst may use one or more computer programs to develop an appropriate computer model, sometimes referred to as a finite element model. In the case of a structural product, this may include creating a finite element mesh to divide the product's geometry into subdomains for mathematical analysis and applying material properties and boundary conditions to this geometry.
A finite element model (e.g., finite element mesh) of a structural product can be generated directly from a solid model of the product. But for a number of products, the solid model is unduly complex and requires excessive computing resources to generate a corresponding finite element model. In some instances, an intermediate mid-surface model of the product may be generated from the solid model, and this mid-surface model may then be used to generate the corresponding finite element model. But even in these instances, manual techniques for generating the mid-surface model often require an excessive amount of time; and other, automated techniques often produce inaccurate results that require excessive manual correction. It may therefore be desirable to have a system and method that addresses these challenges, and improves upon existing practices.